First, fake confidence works to an extent and if it’s all you have — use it. I’ll be the first to admit that I have used “fake” confidence to get things done.

The most memorable time I used fake confidence was my first ballroom dance competition. I did not know what to expect, I had only been dancing with my teacher for six months, and here I was in a competition with people who had danced this style of dance for years. I prayed and then I channeled my inner goddess. Keeping it real, I looked the part, I felt the energy, but my dance moves were so-so.

Fake confidence works for a short period of time. After some time and for a good number of people, the fake confidence actually becomes an insecurity. You develop the belief that you’re just faking it, that you’re really not that good, and the self-doubt starts to eat away at any blooming confidence.

What’s the difference between real confidence and fake confidence?

In the context of what we are talking about, real confidence is “a feeling of self-assurance arising from one’s appreciation of one’s own abilities or qualities.” As in the sentence, “she’s brimming with confidence!”

Fake confidence is pretending to have self-assurance over one’s own abilities or qualities. The key word is “pretending.” When you have to fake confidence you don’t really believe you’re good at what you’re doing or that you possess those personal “qualities.”

The adage, “fake it till you make it” has a ring of truth. This phenomenon of first not having confidence and then somehow, through immersing yourself in the “thing”, you develop confidence, works for some things and some people. For example, in the beginning of my career as a Pilates teacher, I was faking my confidence. After some time and after repeating all the various exercises over and over, I became confident in my ability to teach Pilates.

This method works when you can immerse yourself in the thing you’re faking. If you are able to apply yourself for hours upon hours on the skill you want to develop, then yes, at some point you do “make it” and gain confidence. This is one way to take “fake” confidence and turn it into real confidence.

But many things in life that we want to be confident about — like ourselves and our qualities — are not something we can “immerse” ourselves in.

Some examples would be wanting to feel confident that you are a good person, that you are a lovable person, and that you deserve good things to happen to you. How do you fake that till you believe that? You can’t. At least not in the methods I previously spoke about. I don’t know anyone who has faked being “lovable” so that at some point they realize themselves to be truly — a lovable person.

Limiting beliefs such as these stem from life lessons and repeated experiences where a person’s perception of each experience has made them conclude that they are unworthy in some way. (And it generally happens at a very young age.)

Any attempt at faking confidence at one’s personal qualities is useless because in fact this person will only continue to attract situations that perpetuate the negative self-belief. (So a girl who learns and believes she’s insignificant, will grow up experiencing situations that prove her right. Do you know what I mean?)

Imagine an example where a person has a deep belief that they are unworthy. This can happen when a child grows up ignored as in situations with multiple siblings or parents that are constantly gone or maybe when there isn’t enough “mother-bonding” in the beginning of life. There are many reasons a child can come to believe “I’m unlovable”, “I’m not good enough”, and so on.

As an adult, this negative belief may play out where the individual will continuously choose romantic partners or situations that are not beneficial. Point of fact, they generally choose partners who are emotionally unavailable and / or can’t give them the kind of love they’re seeking. The person holds hope to be in a loving relationship, but because of their limiting beliefs — which many don’t think they have about themselves — keep sabotaging any love that they might be receiving.

How to Get Real Confidence

I’ve divided this section into two categories. First category will be how to get real confidencein your abilities or skills. The second will be how to get real confidence in your personal qualities.

Top 3 Ways to Get Real Confidence in Your Abilities

1. Choose to be confident in a few skills rather than pretending to know everything. You can still be a “jack of all trades” if that’s your thing, but to have real confidence in a skill, you have to possess more than just “passing” knowledge.

2. Immerse yourself in the skills you want to be known for. Dive in. Learn everything you can about whatever it is you want to be good at and become so well versed that you could teach it to anyone. When you can teach something to someone successfully, that will boost your confidence like no other.

3. Pick skills that you think are fun because when you’re having a good time doing something, the more you will be at ease with it. Being at ease and enjoying the moment lends you to becoming comfortable and the more comfortable you are with something the more confident you are about it. (Ironically, when you’re “faking” confidence in a skill, you actually get yourself in some pretty uncomfortable situations.)

One of the few skills I’m confident about is my ability to teach others how to move their body. Having been a dancer for most of my life and a fitness professional for over 12 years — from teaching 2nd graders how to dance, adults to stand with good posture, and seniors to move with ease — my experience has taught me that I’m really good at this. Also, I enjoy “moving” so much, that it is a pleasure to teach others, to give them body confidence, freedom through movement, and a way to stay healthy.

Top 3 Ways to Get Real Confidence in Your Personal Qualities

Before I show you how to get more confidence in this regard, name 5 qualities you want to be known for. Here are a list of some admirable qualities:

Adventurous

Affectionate

Assertive

Authentic

Balanced

Benevolent

Bold

Brave

Capable

Cheerful

Compassionate

Confident

Creative

Curious

Decisive

Deep

Dependable

Devoted

Disciplined

Easy-going

Enthusiastic

Fair

Flexible

Forgiving

Funny

Generous

Gentle

Good

Grateful

Helpful

Honest

Humble

Integrity

Intuitive

Inspiring

Intelligent

Joyful

Just

Kind

Knowledgeable

Lively

Logical

Loving

Loyal

Nurturing

Optimist

Original

Passionate

Patient

Playful

Positive

Powerful

Resourceful

Respectful

Responsible

Sensitive

Sincere

Spiritual

Strong

Soulful

Thoughtful

Trustworthy

Understanding

Virtuous

Visionary

Warm

Wise

Witty

1. Pick a quality you want to be known for and define what this quality means to you. Use a mixture of the dictionary definition and your own words to create a meaning that best suits your ideas of how you want to be perceived. Then, write out how your life would change and benefit if you had more confidence about this. (Do this for your top 5 personal qualities sister!)

This process helps you to “own” the trait by creating your own definition and internalizing the meaning by articulating how you could benefit. When you make something your own — you accept it as yours. This attitude of ownership — a claiming of “this is me” — helps to develop real confidence.

2. Visualize yourself being the quality you wish to possess. How would you interact with others when you embody this personal quality? Use your mind’s eye — how will others treat you because they see this quality in you. Would they respect you, love you, see you as a valuable and genuine person because of this trait?

Visualizations help you to see the potential in yourself and how your life could be. It also helps you to embody this energy and attract more situations where you can showcase this quality about you. The more that you are encouraged to see yourself as this quality and act in this quality, the more confident you will become that you are this quality.

3. Heal the issues that have you believing the opposite of what you want. Through some form of self-help or therapy, remove the blocks that prevent you from possessing the personal qualities you wish. Exercises such as forgiveness work, changing negative belief systems, prayer, and positive thinking are some ways that can help.

At some point in life, you learned that you weren’t “something” (replace this word with a good quality) and that you were this other “negative” thing (replace this word with a less than admirable quality) — fix that. Close that chapter and throw tons of love at it.

When you heal your negative self-beliefs, the more confidence you will have about the kind of person you want to be. And when you feel good about yourself, the more you are empowered to contribute, share, and shine the light that is within you. (And the world needs you ma!)

When you are able to show people who you really are — that speaks more about your confidence than anything else.

BONUS:: How To Get Real Body Confidence

I wasn’t planning on adding this section, as it wasn’t on my original outline, but earlier this week I got an email from a client who is on my Better Posture in 30 Days Program and her words gave me the confidence to share these ideas too!

1. Improve your posture and raise your body confidence. Standing taller and straighter not only gives the “look” of confidence, it actually helps change your body physiology which goes to improve mood. When you have a better attitude, you are more sure of yourself.

2. Improve your relationship with your body to increase body confidence. The more you accept and love your body, the more you treat your body well and appreciate it. When you are in harmony with your body, you move with an air of pride — like you and your body are in this adventure together (um, because you totally are!) and it makes you feel like you are on a team of sorts — your body-being and your soul-being run the show together!

3. Heal any bad memories, trauma, and negative beliefs you have regarding your body. To me, this is the most helpful in increasing one’s body confidence. You can decide how you want to heal and where to get help, but I urge for my sisterhood to do this as truly loving and accepting your body — and all its beautiful imperfect parts — will be such a mind and soul reliever that so many things in life will seem like cake after.

Yes, we live in a culture of body-shaming tactics and energy, but we are also the biggest perpetrators of unloving, sometimes — down right hateful — thoughts against our body. We need to stop that. Your soul picked your body to inhabit. If it’s good enough for her, then it must be pretty awesome. (With that said, I’m all about treating one’s body like a temple because that’s just good housekeeping. And yes, because our beautiful soul calls it home and we want to show our gratitude.)

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We love to feel good. We love to treat our body good. Can I get an amen ladies?!

Here are my seven favorite body skin energizing techniques that I use weekly and some on a daily basis.

1. Self-Myofascial Release (SMR)

SMR is a self massage technique to relieve tension — trigger points — within the body. Using a foam roller, lacrosse ball, or any massage stick or tool, apply pressure on the trigger point — where your muscle feels tense — and hold for 30 seconds or longer. This timed pressure sends a signal to your Golgi tendon organs which senses change in muscle tension. Regular use of SMR techniques improve muscle length tension, blood-flow, and relieves muscle pain.

I do my SMR work as a warm-up to physical activity, as a standalone exercise routine to relieve my body of tension, and as a night-time therapy to help me relax and get a good night sleep.

2. Massage

I use to get traditional massages often, especially when I suffered chronic back pain, but for the last five years, since my back pain has decreased substantially, I get them less. I do give myself daily massages after my shower. I knead my muscles and rub the oil onto my skin, working out any tension I may have as I say gratitude to my body. (I say things like, thank you for being so strong, so healthy, and so forth…) The act is so much more than just “rubbing lotion on yourself” that I definitely consider it a massage and a self-love body treatment.

When I massage myself, I alternate between using almond oil, coconut oil, and olive oil. I work the oil onto my slightly damp skin until it’s absorbed. When I have muscle aches from a hard workout or kung fu class, I will mix a tablespoon of magnesium lotion with either almond oil or olive oil and rub the mixture on the body parts that feel really tense to help relieve any pain. (Do not put the magnesium lotion mix on your face because it will dry it out. I accidentally did this on a night out and it was not a good look. Even my mother said something. Oy vey!) Massages from yourself or from others are a great way to decrease stress, lower heart rate, increase blood flow, and improve skin texture.

3. Dry Brushing

Using a natural brush, brush your skin with upward moving motion — brushing towards your heart — to improve lymphatic system (part of the immune system), blood-flow, and skin texture. Dry brushing removes dead skin cells and promotes a healthy skin cycle. The more you dry brush, the faster new skin is revealed making your skin look vibrant. I don’t dry-brush a lot, probably 2-3x a month. It’s because I already exfoliate my skin everyday so I don’t feel it’s necessary. But, I like to do it as a treat.

To avoid skin irritation, it’s very important that you never share your dry-brush with anyone. (I’ve seen what happens when people do and it’s bad news.) Also, wash and dry your dry-brush properly after every use by hanging it upside down or with bristles faced down so that mold or mildew don’t develop. Keep your dry brush in a dry place when not in use.

4. Hot & Cold Shower

Take a hot shower and then right before you finish, make the water super cold and rinse yourself off. Think of this hot and cold shower technique as like you jumping into a hot spring and then straight into a cold spring. Your skin is enlivened, your mood lifts, and you feel absolutely energized.

I love this technique! Rinsing yourself off with really cold water is spiritual to me. (It’s one of the techniques I talk about in my first book, “How to Be Happy 99% of the Time.”) During this time, you become absolutely aware of your surroundings. You feel the water on your skin, you hear the sounds of the water, and you’re so present that hardly any thoughts come to your head. Additionally, I like to do a “thank you” chant as I’m braving the cold. (So that’s me just saying “thank you, thank you, thank you” as I’m doing my this-water-is-cold-as-heck shower dance.) This may sound strange until you try it and then you’ll get addicted like me!

5. Joint Mobility Routine

As you age, joint mobility may decrease. Get that nutritious synovial fluid flowing to lubricate your joints, bring blood, oxygen, and nutrients, and remove waste. Below is a video of my simple joint mobility routine that I do in the morning, I may also use it as a warm-up to physical activity, and a “break” activity during my daily walks.

6. Body Clapping

Body clapping is exactly how it sounds. You give your body physical claps or slaps. (Also, demonstrated on the video.)

Body clapping can be done anywhere. I do it in nature, at the gym, and even in the shower. This body energizing technique improves skin look, blood flow, and Chi energy.

When you find yourself in nature — among trees especially — you can do this body clapping technique. Stand in front of a tree and begin clapping your various body parts. Why do this in front of a tree if you can? Because trees not only clear the air of pollution, but they also clear your energy field. So as you do this body clapping technique — revitalizing your skin and improving your blood flow — the tree is also clearing your energy and improving your personal frequency. (Think resonance and entrainment!)

I do this technique at the gym, especially if I need to increase my energy because I’m about to teach class or take a class. I may do this technique in the shower to help invigorate my body.

7. Bear Walk

One of the best things I’ve learned from Tai Chi was the “bear walk.” Now don’t quote me that it’s called “bear walk,” it’s been over 15 years since I learned it. I’ve taught it as the “bear walk” to almost every client and relative I have and so I’m sticking with my story. (I’ve started taking Tai Chi again and they haven’t talked about this “bear walk” so I’m suspicious. Anyway, I demo it in the video below.)

Standing with your feet naturally apart, begin swinging your arms, creating a loose figure 8 or ribbon bow like shape and your legs swinging with natural rhythm with your arms. Right arm and right leg move together, then the left side. This simple movement increases blood flow and improves Chi energy. I do it when I’m waiting in line, watching online lectures, basically, anywhere that I have to be stationary but I have the urge to move.

But that’s not all! I have three more ways of energizing my body. They’re not really techniques, but more like good lifestyle choices 😉

8. Earthing or Grounding

“Earthing” or “grounding” is walking barefoot (or sitting / laying down) on grass, sand, dirt, and even wet cement to absorb electrons from the Earth. This is a great way to improve health and vibrancy. Most people, due to modern living conditions — shoes, houses, buildings, and anything that separates you from touching the Earth — are in what’s called a “positive charge” state making them electron deficient. When you are electron deficient you are susceptible to inflammation and disease. Put your bare-feet on dirt a few times a week and easily fix this problem.

Besides being good for your body, “earthing” makes you feel good. Plain and simple — the better you feel, the more energy you have. I try to ground everyday when I walk with my dogs wearing my earthing sandals. If I have more time, I ‘ll sit on the grass for a few minutes and of course, our family loves to go to the beach every weekend so we get our grounding and family time all in one!

9. Get 8+ Hours of Sleep a Day

There is nothing that can replace the energizing effects of a goodnight sleep. Sleep is the natural way your body resets to its balanced state. During sleep is the best time for your body to build and repair cells and tissues because it doesn’t need to use its energy on things such as physical or mental activity.

We’ve all seen and experienced the immediate effects of poor sleep. Our energy is depleted and our skin looks haggard. Chronic lack of sleep can cause irregular heartbeat, heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, and a host of other illnesses.

Everyone’s sleep needs will vary. Listen to your body. How does it run on 4,5,6,7, and 8 hours of sleep? Are you suffering from any health issues due to lack of sleep? Personally, I need 8-9 hours of sleep daily to be my best. After 40+ years, I know this about me and so I try to adhere to my body’s needs.

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Being queen for a day is mostly about getting what you want for “24 hours.” It’s a pretty fun day and usually appropriated to us by our loved ones for our birthday, anniversary, and / or Mother’s day. And, we are grateful to our family and significant other for this gift which I would describe as an effort of “showing their appreciation by truly listening to our needs and trying to give us what we want” (without much talk back) for a few hours (because it’s not really 24 is it? Since we all have to sleep. )

So very nice indeed, BUT how about if we want more?

Would you want to have more things go your way, get what you want more often, and have yourself be really listened to so that your words are heard — as when a Queen speaks?

Be a Queen for Life

The first definition of “queen” is :: “the female ruler of an independent state, especially one who inherits the position by right of birth.”

Priestess-empowerment translation :: “a female who rules her mind and body, in harmony with her spirit, especially who awakens to this position by discovering (after much turmoil) that it is her divine right.”

Are you on board with this sisters?

How to Be More “Queen” in Your Life

By discovering who you really are, uncovering what you’re made of, and believing your own story (fairy-tale.)

What does that mean?

Well let this sister-friend-warrior-queen tell you… 😉

1. Discovering who you really are means getting in touch with the source within you.

I’m going to say this in a few different ways that basically mean the same thing — that you’re a pretty special lady.

You are made of stardust. (That’s a fact.) Inside you are God particles. You are energy. You are unlimited potential. You are light. (And darkness too.) You are love.

As queens in the past have taken reign because of their birthright, so should you take control of your life by knowing your origins.

Get to know the divine soul within you.

Explore the infinite source of love, light, and joy that flows through your body and discover how you are deserving of all that is good.

When you choose to acknowledge this part of you, nurture this holistic relationship — soul-being, human-being, and God-being — and act in harmony — coherence between all these aspects of you — YOU become the queen of you. Sovereign to the little universe called your body (because your body is a fractal of the entire universe — a self-similar replica.)

Did you know that being queen of your self means you’ll be ruling over 100 000 BILLION cells?

When you think of it like that, don’t you think your body needs a queen to guide it?

Imagine “lost” cells. Cells with no leadership. Do you think such cells could wreak havoc?

2. Uncovering what you’re made of means knowing where you came from, what you’ve been through, and truly owning how you’ve grown, changed, and have become formidable in your own right.

To know where you came from is to take stock of your life experiences. To see and be amazed at the stuff you’ve been through and freaking fist-pound yourself to say — YOU did it. You’re badass. That sh!t was cray and you survived ma! More. Power. To. You.

Being a survivor changes you. And we are all survivors of something.

Most queens during their reign had to fight to keep their kingdom and throne safe. Your story is no different. You are also, no less capable.

A queen takes responsibility for herself and everything she has influence over. Her mind, body, family, connections, work, and home to name a few.

This idea of taking on “world-like-pressure” as a personal responsibility is not new to women, but the notion that one knowingly accepts the pressure because they want their kingdom — their little universe — to be governed lovingly, justly, and harmoniously, is.

This perspective of — ownership of your life and universe — is a game changer.

You thought you were a pawn.

You thought wrong.

You are the most powerful piece.

3. Believe that you were born to be a queen and then act like it.

As a want-to-be-queen-for-life, you first have to go within and basically introduce yourself to your kingdom. Then you have tell them why you would make an excellent queen — because, you know… you’ve slayed dragons and all that. Next, the kingdom validates your request by doing some fact checking — does this potential queen believe what she says and does she do what she believes? (It’s impossible to lie to your mind, body, and spirit. They are present to everything you say and do.)

The last part to becoming a queen of your life is to actually believe it and then when tested with a life decision, difficult situation, or personal trial, this belief is proven to be true because you act in a queenly manner — in accordance to your beliefs. Beyond the “queen” aspect, the real question is — do your beliefs align with what you want in life?

You (queen) get what you want in life by stating clear and concise directives that support your desired goal and is in harmony with your beliefs.

What does that look like in real life?

When you are queen of your body you can say to her, “Eat organic whole foods 80% of the time so you stay healthy and vibrant.” This sentence is clear, concise, gives instructions, and explains the desired outcome. The only factor left is to find out if this statement falls in line with the person’s beliefs about themselves, health, and food to name some factors that can make this directive allowable or not.

For example, if the person believes that “I’ll always be fat because it’s in my DNA, I’ve always been heavy, and I don’t think anything I do will really help.” The limiting belief being that, “I am helpless.” Then stating the sentence, “Eat organic whole foods 80% of the time so you stay healthy and vibrant.” won’t do any good. The kingdom of cells, organs, and body systems that she governs will see that their queen really doesn’t believe that, and so they’ll will follow what they know to be true — her negative core beliefs.

When you are queen in your romantic relationship you can say things to your partner like, “Before you leave in the morning, kiss me good-bye because it makes me feel loved and connected to you.” This sentence is clear, concise, gives instructions, and explains the desired outcome. The only factor left is to find out if this statement falls in line with the person’s beliefs about themselves, love, and relationships to name some factors that can make this directive allowable or not.

For example if a person actually believes that they are unlovable, that they are not good enough, and that they must be perfect to be loved — then, no. The words may come out, “please love me this way…” but the parties involved will sense the lack of conviction and so it won’t be taken seriously.

Does this resonate with my sisterhood?

It is our beliefs that are either the biggest obstacle or the most supportive system we have in getting what we want in life.

Do we believe life is hard and miserable or that life is challenging and can be filled with fun?

Do we believe ourselves to be helpless and incapable or do we believe we are resourceful and strong?

Do we believe ourselves to be insignificant or something more divine and magical?

Do we believe ourselves to be victims of our circumstances or queens of our domain?

If you need encouragement and guidance with unleashing your inner queen, then check out my online life-coaching service.

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Suffering is the emotional state of feeling “pain, distress, and hardship” and for many, these feelings last for some time. Most of us have suffered at some point in our lives and inevitably — as an act of survival — we realize we’ve “suffered enough.” Like a harsh wake-up call, we determine with a fair amount of certainty that because of our painful situation, we’re either going to break down, break somebody, or by golly, break free. Many speak of this moment as “reaching the end of their rope” or “hitting rock bottom.” (Does this resonate with anyone?)

These dire moments also help people have a breakthrough. They figure out something — that life is not supposed to be like this — and then they find the courage within themselves to do what they need to do.

So yes, we’ve all suffered. But, it begs the question, why do we have to suffer for so long — where we need to get to a breaking point — before we make a change?

Why can’t we identify suffering earlier and resolve it sooner so that we suffer less?

I believe we can and it begins with a choice.

“Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.” ~ Haruki Murakami

Here’s what I know…

You will suffer in life. If you try to avoid it, you will merely prolong or postpone the suffering.

Life isn’t about suffering, but suffering seems to be an essential component to our growth and expansion as conscious humans and soul-beings.

On the other hand, if one wishes for a life without suffering, what they’re really saying is, “I am scared that I cannot handle the challenges set before me.” This way of thinking will not get a person far because life is filled with obstacles and plainly — shit happens. Instead, wish for courage, strength, and wisdom. Such prayers will be answered quicker and you’ll be made more formidable. (Formed-and-made-able!)

The key to less suffering is to not avoid it. The ideal is to be aware of the suffering sooner, resolve it as best you can, learn the lessons you must, and then move beyond it.

We have to acknowledge — as early as possible — what is uncomfortable, painful, and scary to us. Then, we must surrender to it. Feel the ugliest parts of it fully so that it brings us to that proverbial “breaking-point” (sooner than later) where we have no choice, but to act and change.

How do you become aware of your suffering sooner?

By paying attention to your feelings.

Are you worried all the time? Do you find yourself sad or feeling incomplete most days? Are you angry a lot? Do you cry often? Do you say things like, “Why is this always happening to me?”

Life isn’t a bed of roses, but it shouldn’t be all thorns either. If you find yourself feeling negative feelings most of the time, then that means you’re suffering.

Now having a bad day doesn’t mean you’re suffering. It means you had a bad day. The truth is, only you know if you’re in a bad state. If there is any confusion, ask your heart if she’s OK. And then, listen.

What do you do once you become aware of your suffering?

You fix and heal the situation and yourself as best you can.

You pray for courage, strength, and wisdom. You call your closest friends and family for advice and help. You seek out other people (professionals, counselors, and so forth) that you think might help you. You think positive. You make a plan. Then, you make a promise to yourself to do your best to end this “suffering.”

Despite everything I’ve said in this post — that it’s best to see our suffering sooner so that we suffer less — it’s just the “hope” and ideal, but when you are able to break free from anything that is no longer serving you — that’s all good! And the moment you do it, that was the exact right time for you.

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A woman’s body goes through many changes throughout her lifetime. One of those changes is the waning or lack of connection — mental, physical, and spiritual — to her lower abdominal, pelvic floor, and general womb area.

There are several reasons why this decrease in connection may happen, some of which are: having children, the linea alba tearing or stretching, a groin hernia, sexual trauma, lack of sex, muscle weakening, aging, past-life trauma, mental aversion, and neglect.

No matter the reason for the disconnect, I offer this holistic prescription — therapies that address the mind, body, and spirit — to help any sister who may have use for it to reconnect, strengthen, and heal the relationship to her womb area.

READ: I make no claims to diagnose, prescribe, treat, or cure any disease, physical or mental. I am not a medical doctor, licensed psychologist, or psychotherapist. Persons with psychological or physical illness that require a medical doctor, psychologist, or psychotherapist should contact licensed practitioners. I offer these holistic remedies as a certified fitness professional and life-coach. If you use my therapy suggestions, then you do so taking full responsibility for your well-being.

The Physical Component

Physical disconnection to the lower abs, pelvic floor, and womb area can stem from pregnancy, extreme physical fitness, injury, surgery, disease, and other reasons. Here are two examples of exercises that can help reconnect and improve neuromuscular efficiency in this part of the body.

One of the best ways to reconnect physically to your lower abdomen and pelvic floor is to do the Kegel exercise. The Kegel is an exercise to strengthen your PC muscles (pubococcygeus) also called your pelvic floor or pelvic diaphragm named after its inventor, gynecologist Dr. Arnold Kegel.

The exercise is fairly simple, but it does take some getting use to. The more you do this exercise, the better your motor control will be of your pelvic floor, but since it’s quite difficult to isolate these muscles, you end up doing isometric contractions of the surrounding muscles and so you inadvertently improve your connection and control over your lower abs and butt muscles too. Click here to learn how to do the Kegel and try to do your Kegels everyday.

Another helpful exercise is to do palpitations and gentle massage on your lower abs and womb region. This method increases the mind to body awareness, improving your mind’s ability to recognize this area. Through touch, while mentally thinking of this part of your body will help the mechanisms that send and receive information to the brain. The more often you send these signals the better the effect. Perform this treatment a few times a week. An optimal time to do this is before bedtime as it will help you relax priming you for a goodnight sleep.

When your brain is able to communicate to your lower abs, pelvic floor, and womb area more efficiently, the better your relationship is to the area which goes on to improve health, function, and movement. A lot of what happens inside the body goes on without your knowledge or conscious help, but like a manager to a project, you can provide guidance and a “list of expectations” (what you want your body to do.) Your ability to influence your body depends on how “aware” and “connected” you are to it. Improve your connection and awareness and increase your ability to guide your body to optimal health.

The Mental Component

Our mind is a powerful influencer. Thoughts and past experiences that are replayed in our mind influence the health of our body. Stress from bad memories, trauma, and fear of any sort can manifest itself into physical ailments. It’s best to heal these experiences so that you can give your body the best chance at being healthy.

If there is an experience or thought in particular that comes to mind that is affecting your relationship to your lower abs, pelvic region, and general womb area, then my suggestion is to find a doctor or therapist that specializes in that area to help you deal and heal the troublesome thought or experience. In my last post, I spoke of Matrix Reimprinting as one of the therapies that I use to help me heal bad thoughts, traumatic experiences, and limiting beliefs. You can read more about that by clicking here.

The health of a woman’s womb is vitally important. Not only is it the place that nurtures and carries new life, it’s an area where many women feel is what makes them a woman. A woman’s abdomen, uterus, and vagina are not just arbitrary physical parts of the body. These physical aspects of us are special, sensitive, and have great significance. Care for this area of your body like you would care for your daughter’s body.

The Spiritual Component

I present the following 10 minute meditation on connecting to your lower abdomen, sacral, and womb area. It’s easy and gentle and can be done anywhere you feel comfortable relaxing. In the video I use crystals to aid in my focus and to help raise the vibrational frequency of the heart and sacral chakras — it is not necessary to use them — but they are helpful (and pretty!)

This holistic prescription that I have offered — treatments that focus on the mind, body, and spirit — can contribute to the healing process of reconnecting to your lower abdominal, pelvic, and womb region. It’s very important to note that it does not replace the advice or help of doctors, psychologists, psychotherapists, or any other Western medicine. Holistic prescriptions should be used as complementary aid to existing measures that are provided by licensed doctors or therapists.

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Part of Inspire Youthful’s message is to help women foster an attitude of timelessness.

We define timelessness as a behavior where an individual is undeterred by their age to do, accomplish, and be anything they want. They have an unshakable notion that things will “happen” in due time or divine time. A timeless person believes in their infinite existence therefore also believes that time is on their side.

With that description it seems ideal to be a “timeless” woman. Who doesn’t want that kind of confidence? Imagine being so secure about yourself and the time you have. Talk about “the weight” being lifted off your shoulders! (Ladies, the game ain’t over!)

Matrix Reimprinting—a kind of energy therapy—supports a timeless way of being.

How does it do that?

Matrix Reimprinting heals the wounds that prevent you from being a timeless person and empowers you by helping you create new beliefs that support your timeless attitude.

What is Matrix Reimprinting?

Matrix Reimprinting was developed by Karl Dawson, who also co-authored the book, Matrix Reimprinting Using EFT. (Read it sister!) As the book title suggests, his method uses EFT (emotional freedom techniques) as part of its process to heal bad memories, traumas, and limiting beliefs. Just like EFT, Matrix Reimprinting uses the Chinese Energy Meridians to clear and balance your energy fields, where your memories are stored. Then, Matrix Reimprinting goes a step further and helps to change those beliefs or memories into more positive ones so that you can live a healthier and happier life.

Something to think about…

Many people believe their thoughts create their reality. (We agree.) There are some who believe that there is no order to things, that life is mostly accidental, and if it doesn’t seem so, then it’s just a coincidence. (Nah, this doesn’t jive with us.) Anyhow, here is an easy belief that everyone can wrap their head around.

What you learned growing up—your life experiences—filter how you view and conduct yourself in the world.

And that way of behaving—these particular learned and ingrained thoughts and actions—help to create your reality.

For example, if you experienced as a child your parents arguing over money, saw your parent work two different jobs to put food on the table, or that money was scarce and so they couldn’t buy you the things you wanted as a kid, then as an adult, you would have certain beliefs—learned from these particular life lessons—that now affect how you behave when it comes to money.

Some behavioral patterns or beliefs that a person who had these “lack-of-money” experiences could be:

1. You believe there’s not enough to go around.

2. You believe you have to work really hard to even barely make it in this world.

3. You can’t trust people to take care of you.

4. You shop like crazy to make up for what you didn’t have growing up only to bring you to debt and more money worries.

5. You are extremely frugal because you are concerned that you may run out of money.

6. It’s hard for you to make decisions about things that involve money.

7. You think it’s normal for people to argue about money.

8. You don’t have a positive relationship with money.

I’ve only described the possible negative beliefs and behavior patterns that some may have towards money (if they came from a background as I described in the example) because for many people who suffer bad memories and / or traumatic experiences, they usually end up creating limiting beliefs that prohibit them from living a better life. Of course, there are the “rags to riches” stories. Individuals that overcame similar situations, but these people are the outliers—the exceptions to the rule.

I’m no exception. For a long time I held the belief that “Money doesn’t grow on trees.” A saying that I learned as a young person which later became an internal mantra. Through Matrix Reimprinting I healed those thoughts and reprogrammed myself to have a more empowering and positive belief about money. Now, I believe abundance is everywhere and we just have to open our eyes, shift our perspective, and accept with graciousness the gifts the universe provides.

So what kind of past experiences can prevent a person from being more timeless?

The following are examples of life-experiences that may be contributing to a person’s less than positive attitude towards time, timeless ideas, and spirituality…

1. Your parent always brought you to school late or picked you up late after school and so now you’re late for most things even though you try not to be.

2. You ran late to a very important event in your past and was made to feel embarrassed in some way and now you have fears that such a thing will repeat—and of course, it does.

3. You failed at a “timed” test before and now you can’t handle time-pressure situations.

4. You’ve always done everything “last-minute” and so you’re used to having anxious feelings and now, not only do you continue in this hurried chaos, you start resenting and avoiding the things you need to do.

5. You chose a career or educational path that made other people happy and now you think it’s too late for you to have a rewarding career doing something that brings you happiness and fulfillment.

6. You’ve let good opportunities pass you by and now you believe you’ve run-out of time to get them back or maybe you think you don’t deserve good things to happen to you anymore.

7. You have regrets about not doing something that you wanted to do in your past and now you don’t try as much.

8. You saw how your parents lived with their regrets and now you fear the same thing will happen to you.

9. At a young age you were taught a set of religious or spiritual beliefs that no longer feel “enough” for you. As an adult, it has you questioning and looking for deeper answers, but it seems you can’t get rid of the doubting feelings.

10. You were “made fun of” or told that something wasn’t true, or that it was make-believe when you expressed your thoughts, intuition, spirituality, and /or otherworldly ideas and now it’s hard for you to trust yourself.

Whatever the past experience that created the limiting belief about money, time, or whatever it is that is most pressing for you—it’s not too late for you to heal it.

Matrix Reimprinting can help you change those belief systems so that how you view the world shifts into something more positive and empowering. Then from there, you can make better decisions, attract more abundant opportunities, and have the ability to create the kind of life you want.

“From personal experience, EFT is the fastest way to deal with emotional problems and Matrix Reimprinting is the most effective way to heal them.” ~ Jeanne Floresca

Read the book Matrix Reimprinting Using EFTby Karl Dawson and Sasha Allenby, learn the method, or work with me. Either way, Matrix Reimprinting is something worth trying. There are other therapies that are helpful in healing your “life-wounds” and supporting your ageless living goals such as talk therapy, past life therapy, energy healing, and the like. No matter what system you use—heal yourself—the best way you can so that you may enjoy this time of your life.

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Good posture is important because it helps you to be healthy and confident which leads you to being happier! And that’s a good thing! 😉

13 Reasons Good Posture Helps with Your Health and Boosts Confidence

1. Good posture can prevent chronic back pain.

2. Good posture may prevent migraines caused by muscle pain and tension caused by poor posture.

3. Good posture helps to prevent injury when moving or exercising.

4. Good posture helps you to breathe correctly.

5. Good posture aids in food digestion.

6. Good posture promotes blood circulation.

7. Good posture may help the brain release “feel-good” hormones that contribute to a positive well-being.

8. Good posture lets you look people straight in the eyes which makes you appear more trustworthy.

9. Good posture creates a “taller”appearance which makes you look stronger and gives an air of authority.

10. Good posture helps to project a state of alertness which promotes safety and a “can-do” attitude.

11. Good posture makes you look more assured and composed.

12. Good posture helps to present a more youthful and vibrant you.

13. Good posture helps you ROAR!(By that we mean it gives you the courage to ask for what you want in the life!)

Learn My Best Posture (and Life) Tip

I write about and promote good posture a lot because I’m aware of the benefits. Improving my posture has helped relieve so many issues such as: chronic back pain, migraines, indigestion, solved my anxiety that was caused by shallow breathing, relieved the tightness in my chest, believe it or not I was slightly bow-legged until I improved my pelvic posture, and then it also helped to make my stomach look flatter because I use to stand so poorly that I was sticking out my stomach and I didn’t even know it! And yeah, all that doesn’t even cover how improving my posture improved my self-esteem. So there. That’s why I’m such a stickler for good posture. (Just ask my clients and students!)

Anyway, the other day I was driving and a few things were happening… First, I had a little anxiety thinking I was going to be late for an appointment because I was stuck in traffic. I was also worried that I wasn’t going to find parking. Next, I became aware that I was slouching as I drove. Finally, I noticed I wasn’t happy, that I was actually feeling kind of down. (Not really knowing why… Does that happen to you?)

Then I caught myself.

I said to myself, “This is all in your head!”

And then I said, “Get out of your head and lead from your heart.”

Soon as that idea came in — I perked right up!

LEAD FROM YOUR HEART

With that thought, my driving posture immediately improved. It’s like my body got zapped and I became and felt “lifted” in some way. My mood did a 180-turnaround and I started to smile. I kept saying the phrase, “lead with my heart.”

As I repeated it like a mantra, traffic started to move and then out of nowhere a parking spot appeared — like it was waiting for me to arrive! I didn’t even have to look for it or change lanes. I just drove in the spot like a rock-star. I was stoked! (Obviously, it doesn’t take much to make me happy!)

I got out of the car, paid the meter, and started towards my destination. As I walked, I was still mentally repeating, “lead with my heart” and I must have been smiling, glowing, or something because people were smiling back at me and making way for me. I was definitely feeling better and now, I had a spring to my step. I no longer thought I would be late. Instead I was thinking, I’m going to be there in perfect time and I was! I walked in a few seconds before my client and so she never even knew I was running late!

So what’s the big posture tip and moral of the story?!?!

Lead with your heart!

It’s a physical, mental, and spiritual up-lift!

By leading with your heart you will be sitting and standing taller — I kid you not. You’ll be walking with a “heart-strut” (Quote me on that!) where people will be taking notice thinking — what did she have for breakfast and how can I have double-shot of that!

Leading with your heart helps to ease your mind, making it easier for you to realize what matters most, as in — follow your heart. It’s a mindful way to ground yourself into the present moment and to let your spirit shine through.

Leading with your heart promotes good posture, positive feelings, reduces stress, and helps to attract all manner of fortuitous situations!

Try it now.

Improve your posture (and life) by leading with your heart!

I dare you!

Lead with your heart as you walk around the house, sit in front of your computer, and yeah, do it while you drive!

Then ask yourself, “How do you feel?”

Leading with your heart is a quick fix. It can immediately improve your posture and mood. As a life-coach and fitness trainer, I have to honestly say it won’t replace the work of improving your core strength, undoing your muscle imbalances, changing your mental game, and doing the other holistic strategies that go into really creating a stronger and more confident you. But, in a pinch, your heart-strut will make you look and feel better! So use it.

As a life mantra — leading with your heart — well, you can’t go wrong with that sister so go forth. 😉

ROAR!

Your coach,

Jeanne

Inspire Youthful is totally down for people having good posture because we know it makes life better in so many ways. If you need help improving your posture check out our Better Posture in 30 Days Program — it can really help. We promise.

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Celebrate being a woman of a certain age because with the right attitude, life just keeps getting better from here!

Most women are affected by the coming of their birthdays. Some are excited to celebrate the day of their birth while some dread another year going by informing them that they are getting older. As an ageless lifestyle enthusiast I encourage us to feel excited and grateful for each year we have.

Years ago in French class I learned the phrase, “d’un certain âge” (of a certain age.)The vague term is a euphemism for describing an “older” woman politely. But let’s go beyond that…

I admiringly imagine, that a woman who becomes old enough to be labeled as of a “certain age,” no longer has much use for counting her legal age. To her, it no longer matters how old she is, what matters instead is the wisdom she’s gained throughout her years. This wisdom is what empowers her and gives her hope to believe that though her future is not all written in stone — she’s confident in its general positive outcome because she knows where she came from, what she’s been through, and how she’s had the strength to overcome much and therefore anything else that may come her way.

The attitude of honoring the gaining of wisdom — the experiences and lessons that have made a person — instead of fearing the accumulating years, IS what’s most relevant to a woman who embraces her timelessness.

I came to this conclusion when I turned 40 a few years ago, which coincided with me starting Inspire Youthful — a lifestyle blog about ageless living. Perhaps 40 might be considered relatively “young” in comparison to a person that others might label as being of a “certain age.” I don’t know. For me, this milestone struck a chord. I realized that because of my past experiences and lessons learned — my future — 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and so on were going to be so much better.

Of course, life still throws curve balls. We never really stop being students of life. Always learning, growing, and expanding. But, when I take stalk of where I’ve been, what I’ve seen, and felt, and then I realize that — I’m still standing — well, that just puts me back in the game looking for solutions, guidance, and healing instead of dwelling on whatever problem I think I have. So yeah, I’m feeling pretty good about being a woman of a “certain age.” I earned it.

To all my sisters, sometimes it’s like the years are whizzing by us and perhaps not everything has gone our way or like we hoped… However our respective stories have unfolded — we’ve been made stronger and smarter because of them. Each year that passes where we can smile more, laugh louder, and love harder shows how resilient we are. We got this.

There’s something to be said about a woman who’s reached the age where she knows what she wants, has the know-how to get it, the ability to solve the problems that may come her way, and who resolutely believes her time is now — no matter her age.

Actress Helen Mirren — a beautiful and empowered woman of a “certain age” — says she would tell her younger self to say the words “fuck off” more. I say, right on. First, we’ve always had the right to say it, but now — older — we’ve got the gumption to drop the mic and walk off stage. (Boom!) Celebrate your wisdom my ageless compadres. ROAR!

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Food provides us with the nutrients we need to grow, develop, and repair cells and tissues. Food gives us energy for physical activity and fuels the body’s metabolic processes. Food acts similarly in all of us, but depending on our age (among other things), our nutrient requirements will differ.

Does the food you eat help you to be healthier and more vibrant at your age?

Does it also aid in your future well-being?

What you eat is an important part in achieving longevity and a good quality of life.

Everyone needs a certain amount of protein, carbs, and fat, as well as specific amounts of vitamins and minerals to help us have optimal health, but our dietary needs vary as we grow up. For example, a toddler has different needs to that of an adolescent. A deficiency in the trace mineral iron in children 6-24 month old can have drastic effects on brain growth and cognitive and motor skills development.

The growth spurts experienced by adolescents require other supportive nutrients. If in your teens you didn’t get the nutrients that your body required to grow and develop, you would suffer physical, reproductive, and cognitive problems. Did you know that approximately half of our bone mass is developed during this time? A calcium deficiency during this period in our lives would adversely affect our bone development and put us at risk for bone fractures and osteoporosis in adulthood.

So what to eat for your age?

Here are some key nutritional needs for the aging individual and where you can find them naturally. This isn’t an exhaustive list nor does it account for the particular needs of special populations. Consult your doctor for individualized nutrient, vitamin, and mineral recommendations to enjoy longevity and well-being. I provide non-medical food and intuitive eating guidance as a Certified Fitness Nutrition Specialist and Life-Coach.

Calcium

Calcium is for strong bones. Maximum bone mass is attained at the age of 30, this is where bone tissues are readily formed more so than lost. After this age, bone mass is lost more quickly than formed. If your peak bone mass is low, you will have lesser bone tissues to deplete and thus, can result in the risk of osteoporosis. Calcium may contribute in the prevention of colon and breast cancer, helps with weight control, and reduces the development of kidney stones. Calcium is readily found in milk and cheeses from grass-fed cows, and green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, collard greens, broccoli, and okra.

Collagen

The protein collagen is a main building block to bones, ligaments, tendons, cartilage, and your skin. As you age, these body tissues can deteriorate, stiffen, and breakdown. Eat collagen and protein rich foods to support healthy skin and bones. The best source of collagen is from other animals — preferably bone broth made from grass-fed beef and pasture-raised chicken bones.

Chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine

Chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine are natural elements found in connective tissue. As you age, your body’s ability to make these substances lessen. A body lacking in these nutrients may suffer joint pain and stiffness, arthritis, and osteoporosis. You can find chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine naturally in bone broth, but many choose to take supplements to meet their needs.

Folic Acid

Folic acid is one of the B vitamins. B vitamins help facilitate metabolic reactions that release energy and so taking your B vitamins can help you have more energy. A common misconception is that B vitamins themselves provide energy, but that isn’t true. Folic Acid is a form of folate and aids in DNA synthesis, cell growth, and amino acid metabolism. For adults, a combination of folic acid and B12 may prevent cardiovascular disease and strokes. Folic acid can be found naturally in dark leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, orange juice, sunflower seeds, legumes, and liver. Folic acid is vulnerable to cooking and can destroy up to 90% of a foods folate and so it’s best to eat these veggies raw or with minimal cooking.

Lipoic Acid

Lipoic acid is essential in certain biological activity. Think of it as a “helper molecule.” It aids in specific enzymatic processes that keep us balanced and healthy. A recent study published in the Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications journal by the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University implies lipoic acid may reset and synchronize our circadian rhythms, or “biological clock.” As you age, your circadian rhythm can “breakdown” which may interfere with your energy levels, body temperature, sleep cycle, blood pressure, hormone secretions, digestive secretions, and reaction times. Lipoic acid can be found in most foods, but slightly higher in organ meats and green leafy vegetables like broccoli and spinach. The amount of naturally occurring lipoic acid in food is minimal and so some may choose to use supplements.

Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral that aids in strong bones, heart health, and protein synthesis. Magnesium partakes in over 300 enzymatic processes in your body and is essential for the production of ATP — “the universal energy source for all cells.” After your 30’s it’s recommended to increase your magnesium intake. A deficiency of magnesium in the body will halt cellular activity. Magnesium is everywhere in food so there shouldn’t be a need to use a supplement. It’s found in vegetables, legumes, tofu, and seafood. Chocolate also has magnesium. 😉

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids improves blood circulation, lowers blood pressure, lowers triglycerides, and raises high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels (HDL “the good cholesterol”) to help prevent cardiovascular disease. It may also help with improving mental function and reducing chances of Alzheimer disease. You can find omega-3 fatty acids in fish such as salmon, mackerel, and shrimp. It’s also found in vegetable oils with the best sources from walnut and flax-seed oil.

Potassium

Potassium helps regulate blood pressure, plays a part in muscle contractions, and nerve impulse transmissions. Potassium and sodium work together to help body water distribution and blood pressure. Many adults who suffer from hypertension may prevent or reduce hypertension by having a balanced potassium and sodium intake. You can find potassium naturally in potatoes, spinach, watermelon, bananas, meat, milk, and tea.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A aids in vision, healthy bones, and skin. It also helps growth, reproduction, and immunity. A deficiency in vitamin A can affect vision and numerous body functions. Vitamin A is part of your first-line of defense against bacterial and viral attacks. Most Vitamin A comes from eating animal foods. Fish-oil and fortified milk are the most common sources. Other good sources are dark green and yellow/orange vegetables and fruits.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is made in your body from exposure to the sun and if you spend enough time in the sun, you don’t need to supplement. Vitamin D is essential to bone health, reduces cancer risk, and heart disease. A vitamin D deficiency can lead to osteoporosis and osteomalacia (soft bones). Recommendations for vitamin D increase as you get older and since getting enough sunlight may not be possible due to weather, work, or geography, your doctor may recommend a supplement. Other than the sun, vitamin D can be found in fortified milk, fish oils, sardine, salmon, egg yolks, and butter.

Inspire Youthful advocates intuitive eating — listening to your body’s distinct dietary wants and needs. Barring any negative triggers, emotional traumas, and medical conditions that may affect how your body “talks” to you — learning to listen to your body and following through with her guidance will lead you to optimum health. We also promote getting most, if not all your nutrient needs from organic whole foods, grass-fed and pasture raised meats and dairy, and other natural sources and using supplements as a last resort.

Are you eating for your activity level?

Foods are not created equal and what they provide in nutrients and energy can vary widely. Foods can be classified as being nutrient or energy dense. Foods that are nutrient dense means exactly that — they have a lot to offer in regards to vitamins, minerals, and so forth. Energy dense foods supply you with more energy than nutrient dense foods and generally, are lacking in nutrients.

The best sources for nutrient dense foods are organic whole foods, grass-fed and pasture raised meats and dairy, and wild fish. The best source for energy dense foods that also offer some nutrients are starchy vegetables. The most common sources of high energy dense foods are processed and fast food options.

Why is this important to the aging body?

As your body ages, the ratio of nutrient to energy dense foods you consume will determine if you gain unnecessary weight, become predisposed to illness and disease, and are able to enjoy a good quality of life.

Your daily activity is different now than it was five, ten, or twenty years ago. Heck, for some, it may be different from 6 months ago! For most, aging leads to a slowdown in activity. Therefore, a decrease in energy dense food consumption should accompany this change so you don’t consume excess energy which turns into fat and can bring about illness and disease.

To the ageless lifestyle enthusiast, there may not be a slowdown in activity. Speaking for myself, I’m more active in my forties than I ever was during my teens or twenties. So for individuals like me (us — hint, hint), who are vigorously participating in this wonderful thing called life, finding a balance of nutrient and energy dense foods is integral. My go-to choices for energy dense foods are rice, sweet-potatoes, and a combination of some whole grain and gluten-free breads and pastas. I try not to eat too much gluten because intuitively I know it’s not good for me, but in small quantities I do OK. (You know me — 80/20 baby!) My choices for nutrient dense foods are organic whole foods, pasture-raised chicken, and wild-caught fish when available.

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Learning a new thing such as a language, an instrument, physical movement, and information will help keep your mind healthy, at certain times your body youthful, and undoubtedly your spirit engaged with life.

As the brain ages, a few things happen:

2. Your neurons and neurotransmitters may be reduced which can affect mood, memory, concentration, and even physical movement.

3. Brain blood flow can reduce, plaque may build, and inflammation can occur, as well as damage from free radicals.

It was once thought that we stop creating new neurons after a certain age. Scientists now confirm we do create new neurons all the time, but sadly, unless utilized — like with learning something new — they die. Unfortunately, learning who bit the dust on the latest Game of Throwns episode doesn’t count. You have to actually apply effort in your learning. You must have repeated “tries”, solve some problems, and do it over a certain period of time to increase the longevity of your new neurons.

Brain mass can be maintained and increased through exercise, nutrition, and meditation.

Keeping your brain size healthy helps maintain memory, aids in your ability to learn, and assists in retaining your problem solving skills. Studies have shown that exercise can prevent brain shrinkage especially in the hippocampus the seat of memory. Exercise staves off cognitive impairment and dementia. And we all know that exercise improves blood circulation bringing oxygen, nutrients, and the removal of waste in our body tissues and organs.

Consuming foods with Omega-3 fatty acids — the building block of neurons — may increase brain volume. Eating foods high in antioxidants will fight free radical damage. As well, meditation (is this really a suprise?) has been found to improve brain health and size.

Learning a new sport or movement like salsa or Tai Chi will make you feel youthful because first, it’s like you’re playing — moving and having fun — and second, you get to be a student again with an adult perspective. So this time around, you see the value in what you’re learning. Of course moving more helps to maintain a healthy weight, it lubricates your joints preventing stiffness so you bend with ease, and you use your muscles helping to keep your muscle mass (something else you lose as you age). All these things contribute to you having an ageless mind and body.

Learning to play an instrument and speaking a different language can expose you to new music, people, and culture which can do wonders for your spirit. Your spirit is here to have a human experience — show her a good time! Enjoy learning something new, take yourself on an adventure, meet interesting people, and most of all participate in life!

At the ripe age of 42 I’m learning Kung Fu! I’m going on my 3rd month and it has already made an impact on my well-being. I know that my neurons are happy to learn the new technique, but more than that — I’m being active and doing something I’ve always wanted to do — move like crouching tiger and hidden dragon! (Hi-Ya!) My mom, in her beautiful wise age is learning how to play the piano. (She’s my hero.) And sisters, you know the ageless lifestyle motto — it’s never too late!

Is there something you always wanted to learn? Think about it. Then do it. 😉